To Lose One's Heart
by DrSusanLewisER
Summary: Absolutely 100% CARSAN! Set in Season 1. Carter has a crush on Susan. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR: Jennifer  
EMAIL: webmaster@melaniechisholm.net  
WEBSITE: www.oxygen.dot.nu  
CATEGORY: JC/SL  
RATING: PG  
SPOILERS: Up to "Another Perfect Day" (one of my faves) in Season 1. Not much history at all. Before "The Gift", before mostly everything. Oh yeah, forget everything about Div Cvetic. His relationship with Susan never happened....in this story, at least.  
ARCHIVE: Yes, just e-mail me, please!  
DISCLAIMER: Nothing belongs to me. Everything belongs to the amazing people who create ER.  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Keep the Carsan stories coming!! I love to read reviews for my fics, too, so if you'd be so kind as to leave a little something! :)  
SUMMARY: Carter & Susan, together? We'll see! ABSOLUTELY 100% CARSAN!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Susan sat, thinking, while her cigarette burned freely in her hand. Her eyes gazed at the magnificent sight of the city. She was atop the roof of the hospital, her own private getaway, or so she thought. So wrapped up in the view, she failed to hear Carter creep up the stairs and through the door, until he was only feet away from her. Susan quickly smothered the cigarette and turned towards Carter. In his hand was a bottle of champagne and two coffee cups, makeshift champagne glasses. He received the drink as a present for performing a lumbar puncture perfectly on the first try.   
  
"You should never do this...." Carter stated as he shook the bottle vigorously, Susan quickly moving out of harm's way. The cork shot out and the bubbly poured everywhere. She moved the mugs under the bottle just enough to capture the drink.  
  
They sat down, the city skyline behind them, and bantered on about their first names. Carter wasn't used to the idea of calling the doctor's by their first names, but Susan insisted, although she and other doctors called John by his last name.  
  
"So, you're sister....is she really stuck on this guy with the greasy hair?"  
  
"I doubt she knows his last name, why?" she asked curiously.  
  
"I was gonna ask her out."  
  
A look of disgust and astonishment appeared on Susan's face. "Who are you?!"  
  
"Just kidding...Susan." he smiled.  
  
Her face turned to an awkward smile. "I get it...John."  
  
Susan downed her first serving of champagne and was ready for another, placing her cup in front of Carter.  
  
They continued with their conversation, unconsciously flirting with each other. She thought he was cute, real cute, but she knew better than to act on her temptation.  
  
"So, how has your birthday been?" he asked, knowing what happened just a short time before.  
  
"As best as it can be with your sister ruining it. You know, she could have at least called." she said sarcastically, a smirk appearing on her face. That day her sister, Chloe, made her way to the hospital, drunk, and with a man just as sloshed, who she probably met the night before. "Chloe really outdid herself this time. She embarrassed herself, and me, with our whole little fight earlier, not to mention having to get sutures in her hand. Sometimes I wish she would just grow up and take care of herself for once. But I am her sister. I have to help her." Susan looked up at Carter and took another sip of her champagne. "Do you have any siblings?"  
  
John thought for a moment and began speaking. "No...I don't." He once had a brother who passed away form leukemia. The hospital staff, including Susan, didn't know Carter that well, and he didn't think it was an appropriate subject to dish out just yet. Especially on Susan's birthday.  
  
"Ahh. Well, at least you don't have a screw up sister." They both laughed and refilled their cups, emptying the bottle. Susan raised her mug and John soon followed. "A toast to screw up sisters."  
  
He repeated. "A toast to screw up sisters."  
  
With the cups empty, Carter and Susan focused their attention on the city behind them. "Think of how small we are compared to this big city. I mean, really think about it." he said.  
  
Susan raised her eyebrow. "Carter, are you drunk?"  
  
He let out a small laugh and replied. "No. Seriously. Don't you ever think of stuff like that?"  
  
"No, not really. But I do think of going home after a long day, and it's time for it." She stood up and began walking towards the door where they had both entered.  
  
Carter grabbed his cup, along with the empty bottle, and followed Susan down the narrow stairs. "Maybe we can meet up here again sometime?"  
  
She looked up at him. "Yeah, maybe." She pushed through the heavy doors and started her journey back home. "See you tomorrow, Carter."  
  
"Have a good night!" he shouted as she walked away. Susan waved back at him and he headed for the lounge.   
  
Carol was inside getting ready to go home herself, stuffing her belongings into her tiny locker. She could clearly tell that Carter was happy, displaying a huge smile across his face. "What are you so happy about?"  
  
John was busy transferring his things from his lab coat to his own locker, thinking to himself. "What?"  
  
"What are you so happy about?" She repeated, now knowing there was definitely something he wasn't telling her.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Nothing." He stammered, as he quickly head out the door. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"Jerry, who sent these?" Susan stared at the beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting before her. She was pleased to receive them, but she had no clue as to who sent them.  
  
"I don't know, Dr. Lewis. Doesn't it say on the card?"  
  
"Umm, no. Who delivered them?" She asked.  
  
Jerry thought for a moment. "Some guy with dark brown hair, but he was from the flower shop. Looks like you have yourself a secret admirer."  
  
"Ha, yeah...." Susan strode off to the lounge and began thinking. Who could have sent her flowers? With her busy schedule she hadn't dated anyone in weeks. She set the flowers in a water filled vase and placed them on the table. Just as she sat down, Doug walked in.  
  
"Wow, who sent the flowers?" He inquired.  
  
"I have no idea" she played with a rose petal that fell to the table "and it's driving me nuts."   
  
"Maybe it was Mark." Doug said, as he poured himself a cup of coffee.  
  
Susan raised an eyebrow. "He's married. Remember Jen?"  
  
"And a guy can't send flowers to a friend?" He sipped his coffee and headed out the door.  
  
Susan shrugged. Maybe Doug was right. It could be Mark. After all, Doug knew Mark better than anybody and Mark and Susan were best friends. Maybe he was sending them just because, for no reason at all. Confident in her finding, she went off to search for Mark.  
  
  
A few minutes later, Susan found Mark, along with Carter, in Curtain Area 3. Carter looked as if he was bored to death but was soon alert when he saw Susan enter the room.  
  
"Mr. Metzger, your wrist will be just fine. Keep it in this splint for two weeks and come back for a checkup, alright?" Mark stated, writing on the patient's chart as he explained.  
  
"Thank you, Doctor."   
  
"No problem."  
  
"Excuse me, Mark. Can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
Mark handed off the chart to Carter and walked over to Susan. "Sure, what's up?"  
  
"I just wanted to thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful."  
  
Overhearing the conversation, Carter's head shot up and looked over to Susan and Mark. She was smiling while Mark had a confused look upon his face.  
  
Mark's confusion prompted him to speak. "What flowers?"  
  
Susan's smile quickly changed to a puzzled look as well. "You know, the flowers you sent me."  
  
Still confused, Mark was determined to figure this out. "Susan, what are you talking about? What flowers?"  
  
Learning that Mark had no idea about the flowers, she concluded that it wasn't he who sent them after all. "Nevermind. Forget about it." Already straying from her work duties, she decided that she would just forget about the flowers for now. She headed to the admit desk and picked herself a patient chart, ready to focus on her job the rest of the day.  
  
  
  
"Oh, man..." She muttered to herself, looking over the chart in front of her.  
  
Carter heard Susan speak as he was walking past. "Oh, man, what?"  
  
She sighed and placed her right hand on her hip. The chart was soon in front of Carter's nose, directly in his line of vision. "This. Mr. Nylund is here because he tried to cut off his thumbs. He says they aren't called fingers, so they shouldn't be on his hand. Psyche is gonna have fun with this one."  
  
Carter couldn't help but laugh, but Susan didn't think it was so funny. "Sorry...." He apologized.  
  
"It's ok. It just hasn't been a very good day. This is my third Psyche patient today. Was I not informed of the full moon tonight?"  
  
"Guess you didn't get the memo?" He joked. "Do you wanna go grab some coffee over at Doc's later?"  
  
"Ahh, Doc Magoo's 'World Famous Coffee', huh? That's pretty tough to pass up." Susan smiled.  
  
Carter smiled in return. "I'll meet you around 8 then?"  
  
"8's good. Gotta get back to work. There's no saying what Weaver might do if she see's we're taking a break!"  
  
They both laughed and went back to their patients.  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED . . .  
(sorry this chapter was so short, btw) 


End file.
